The Nature-Loving Urbanist | Interview with Uli Schulz, founder of Secrets of Green

August 5, 2017

A little Secrets of Green haul with LAND chocolates, cards from de Winton Paper co and Bon Design.

One of the most wonderful things about blogging is that most in the industry have high aspirations and work super hard at they do. The design blogger community is probably one of the strongest around and through it, I have met so many like-minded individuals and gotten to know their story and where they want to be in life. One of the loveliest ladies I’ve been lucky enough to meet is the gorgeous Uli Schulz – marketing mogul, a talented illustrator and as of last year super-savvy business woman.

I remember sitting down for coffee with Uli and the equally wonderful Jinny late last year while she told us about her plans for setting up an online marketplace. While I had every belief in her, it seemed a lot of work for a freelancer to take on and with only a few months to do it, I have to admit I didn’t think it was going to be as easy as it sounded. Nevertheless, Uli proved me wrong and with an online launch earlier this year and an official launch party last month, the Secrets of Green marketplace is officially here. If you’re into botanicals, this is essentially your dream and if you’re environmentally conscious – even better! The shop features everything from soy candles to aromatherapy oils to felt plants. I caught up with Uli once again to hear all about the new destination for nature-lovingurbanists.

Uli and I at the Secrets of Green launch party

Firstly can you tell me a little bit about your latest venture?

In November 2016, I had the idea to create a marketplace and community all based on a green life. I live in a city, London, and I had the sudden urge to make my life a little less urban and more green. I’d seen on Instagram that there were many people who thoguth alike, so that’s why I started Secrets of Green, which has been now live since April 2017. There’s so much talent out there already and I thought it would be wonderful to work together with small business and artisans.

What was the hardest part of setting up the business from scratch?

I totally bootstrapped my business but I wanted to build an online marketplace. I didn’t know how to build websites but I had previously used tools like WordPress to set up blogs and websites so that was the solution at the beginning. It’s not the best solution and I’m constantly thinking about what to do next but I guess you have to compromise a bit when you start out.

Uli sporting the incredible neubau eyewear range

Which products are you most excited about for autumn/winter?

I’m excited about ALL products on my website but I also can’t wait to have more soy candles in the shop as autumn and winter are the best seasons to enjoy them. The smell of nature at home is just the best.

You collaborated with neubau eyewear for the Secrets of Green launch party. What drew you towards them?

I was lucky enough that they found Secrets of Green on Instagram. Before I launched the website, they understood the mission straight away and asked if we wanted to collaborate. After hearing about their eco-friendly eyewear collection I thought ‘this collaboration is perfect’. The outcome was even better than I expected. I really got along well with neubau eyewear and we put together a brilliant event. I’m very happy we could do it together!

Floral crown making with Wild Renata Flowers

Are you looking to collaborate with more eco-friendly brands on future events?

Definitely! I’m in touch with a couple of other brands at the moment and brainstorming ideas for further collaborations. I think eco-friendly brands need to be supported as they contribute to making the world a better place. I really enjoy working together with eco-friendly brands and as Secrets of Green is growing we’re trying to help these small businesses on their exciting journey.

What are your hopes for the future?

I have so many ideas buzzing in my head. I want Secrets of Green to be the GO-TO destination for urbanists who love nature. I want the brand to provide amazing online and offline experiences and bring together like-minded people from all over the world. As we live in a world of tech, I also want to combine nature and technology and not move away from it. That means Secrets of Green will be also a hub for discovering products which help to bring nature to your home, e.g. an indoor garden etc. Another thought would be to organise a green festival sometime in the near future…

The gorgeous venue!

I couldn’t resist picking out a few of my favourite products from the Secrets of Green collection. Happy Shopping folks!